


we could stay up all night and watch the snow fall

by Lucigoosey_The_Lightbringer



Series: Here We Are In The Future... [5]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Atheism, Atheist Character, Atheist Steven Universe, Comfort No Hurt, Emotional Recovery, Fluff, Gen, Nostalgia, One Big Happy Family, Post-Change My Mind, Recovery, Snow, Snow Angels, Snow Day, Steven Universe Future, Steven Universe Has PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:21:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28204521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucigoosey_The_Lightbringer/pseuds/Lucigoosey_The_Lightbringer
Summary: "I love snow," Aster tells him softly, quietly (and Steven sees the child in him again, the kid he should have been, the kid that should have grown up beside him, should have experienced this sooner).| Post-CMM (Change My Mind.)
Relationships: Aster Universe & Jasper, Greg Universe & Aster Universe, Greg Universe & Steven Universe, Jasper & Greg Universe, Jasper & Steven Universe, Steven Universe & Aster Universe
Series: Here We Are In The Future... [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057664
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	we could stay up all night and watch the snow fall

"Steven. Steven!"

Twitching awake with his star-shaped pillow clutched to his chest, Steven is greeted by two things. One, the sight of his twin brother leaning over him, hands propping himself up on the bed - and two, a rush of panic, adrenaline and pain flooding him all at once as his fight or flight instincts kick into gear. It's been a while since that had happened, but old habits die hard.

And being woken up in the middle of the night by Aster is a rare feat (and by rare he means it's never happened), so of course his first instinct is to automatically assume that something's wrong. His leg throbs as he struggles to sit up, and Aster pulls back to allow him to do so, managing to look sheepish as the hybrid manages to curl his fingers into the bars above his head just tight enough to pull himself into a sitting position. "Wha'ssit?" He mumbles, releasing his pillow and half-scanning, half-darting his eyes around the room in frantic motions to investigate whatever threat there might be. When he finds none, he turns back to his brother.

"Ah, I'm sorry." Aster offers an apologetic look, and Steven merely blinks again, finally relaxing when he realizes that they're not in any danger. "I didn't mean to startle you. However…" Aster grins at him for a second, a quick flash of teeth and then it's gone. But his eyes are wider than Steven thinks he's ever seen them - well, his _pupils_ , in any case - and have taken on the typical diamond shape Steven knows instinctively means his brother is happy or amused. "Come here."

Steven's tired, but he's not tired enough to feel grumpy toward his brother for waking him up. Especially considering Aster's never woken him up in the middle of the night before. So he merely spares the pink gem a curious look as he peels the blanket off and reaches over to grab his cane from where he hangs it up on the side of the bunk bed every night, using it - and Aster's arm, admittedly - to pull himself up to his feet. Aster is as patient as ever, holding him up and waiting for him to regain his balance, and he keeps his arm looped around Steven as he leads him over to the window. He's not quite sure what he's expecting, too tired to make guesses but curious and somewhat excited all the same, when Aster pulls the curtains back.

It takes him a second to realize it's snowing, white flecks painting the night sky as they descend. None of the snow has stuck to the ground yet, though Steven expects it should by morning, considering how fast it seems to be falling. He's briefly caught off guard by the sight, but nothing leaves him more speechless than the moment he looks over to see the look of wide-eyed amazement and awe that had etched itself across Aster's face. His eyes are open wide, jaw slack, eyes darting rapidly as he watches the snow fall. And Steven, for a moment, feels _giddy._

Aster's lips curl upwards at the corners, a barely noticeable smile. His mouth shuts briefly to swallow, but opens again almost immediately as he speaks. "It's beautiful, isn't it? It's _snowing_."

(Steven understands it immediately. His brother has never seen snow, not with his own eyes.)

"It is," he agrees, finding himself suddenly wide awake. Aster blinks a few times, diamond pupils widening a little more, and flicks his gaze back toward the hybrid. His tiny, fascinated smile doesn't falter, but the awe in his eyes fizzles out to a sparkle of affection. "You like snow, huh?"

"I _love_ snow," Aster tells him softly, quietly (and Steven sees the child in him again, the kid he should have been, the kid that should have grown up beside him, should have experienced this sooner). Aster just chuckles, a sound that's more breathy than anything, and offers Steven's arm a light squeeze as the hybrid shifts to lean against him, taking some of the weight off his leg and resting his head sideways against his twin's shoulder. He knows Aster forgives him for everything, for the chains, for keeping him trapped. He knows he didn't know, he didn't know Aster wasn't _him_ , he didn't know what he was _doing_ to him, but he can't help but feel guilty. Not to a self-destructive extent - it's pretty tame, all things considered - but it's still there, still guilt.

"It'll be a lot prettier tomorrow," Steven offers, not stifling the thoughts or the feelings, but shedding them for the time being in favor of focusing on this moment, the here and now, the moment he gets to spend with his brother because he does know _now_ , and he can do something about that. They can have _this_ experience. Steven isn't going to let the negative feelings rob him of the positive ones right now. He's going to be happy with his brother tonight.

"Yeah." Aster sighs, a wistful sound, and looks back at the window with that same, soft smile. Steven doesn't have the heart to go back to sleep. He knows Aster's gonna stay up to watch.

He pulls away after a moment, and Aster turns, but he doesn't ask questions. Steven simply limps over to the bean bags, using his cane to push one of them over and picking the other one up with his free hand to move it, positioning them both so that they'll be able to see the window from where they sit. Then he heads back over to Aster, who, already knowing what the hybrid wants to do, has busied himself with pushing the curtains back completely to leave the window uncovered. Steven steps in to help with the other side, and once they're content that they'll be able to see the snow clearly, he retreats back to the bean bags and eases himself down onto one. Aster falls back into the other one, a content smile on his face, and gazes at the window.

They sit there for a while, until daylight comes, watching the sky get brighter and brighter. Aster eventually gets up to leave, stating that he'll 'be right back', and Steven contemplates following, but his leg is still aching and he doesn't really feel like getting up right then. He does, however, call after him as quietly as he can to bring him some Ibuprofen, and his brother obliges happily, carrying two of the little round pills in one hand when he returns and balancing two cups with his free hand, both of them balanced on a pink diamond-shaped shield he holds. Steven can't help but stare as Aster sets them down and hands him the pills, taking them numbly. "That's… cool."

Aster looks at the shield curiously for a moment, huffing out a quiet chuckle as he diminishes it into nothing more than a few sparkles and particles of light before those are gone as well. "Yes? You could do it, too. It's basically shapeshifting, but for weapons." He cups a hand over the top of one of the mugs as Steven pops one of the pills in his mouth and lifts the other cup to take a sip, almost melting at the taste. Cocoa. Stars, it's been a long time since he's had hot cocoa.

"Maybe I could," he agrees thoughtfully after he swallows both pills, folding both of his hands around the cup. The warmth against his palms feels good. "I guess I've already done it, but…"

"Accidentally," Aster muses.

Steven cracks a grin, taking another sip. "A star-shaped shield would be cool, though."

Aster chuckles again in response, finally picking up his cup. He studies it for a moment, peering inside, then takes a tentative sip. Steven can't help but smile as he watches his brother relax almost immediately, but a teasing smirk tugs at his lips when he remembers the 'sugar' thing. Hot cocoa is pretty sugary, and this would definitely be his brother's first time trying _that_ as well.

"Careful, Azzy. Don't wanna have another sugar high," he warns, stifling a laugh with another sip, and Aster snorts out a hushed laugh as he swallows a mouthful of his own hot chocolate. He relaxes back into the bean bag, smirking slightly for a moment, then shakes his head.

"It's interesting, actually," he begins, flicking his gaze toward Steven. The hybrid simply inclines his head to show he's listening, finishing off half of the cocoa and sinking back with a smile. "I'm not fond of food - at least, I thought I was. Sweet things, on the other hand… strawberry donuts…" His brother heaves out a soft sigh, the smirk on his face widening slightly. "Well…"

"You have a sweet tooth," Steven giggles. "Why am I not surprised?"

Aster laughs, reclining back again, and looks back up toward the window. He's silent for a moment, seeming contemplative, sipping at his cocoa for a while before he speaks up again. "You seem happy lately." Steven looks up at this, managing a faint smile to himself. "Are you?"

"Yeah," Steven replies honestly, softly. "I think I am." He shifts for a moment, craning a little to lay sideways, and shifts one arm underneath him slightly. He lays mostly facing his brother now, elbow propped up against part of the beanbag with his head cradled in one hand, shifting so he can see both the window and Aster from where he's laying. He watches the snow for a moment longer, stifling a yawn with a few more sips of cocoa, then turns his gaze back to his brother. "Are you?" He asks, and Aster blinks, looking back over at him curiously. "Happy, I mean?"

Aster doesn't take too long to answer. "Steven, I don't think I've ever been happier," he admits, and Steven smiles, content, satisfied, _warm_ , and offers a nod as he looks back to the window.

"Good." Another moment of silence passes, and then, "we're building snowmen tomorrow."

His brother chuckles - _giggles_ , honestly - and nods, and Steven finishes off the rest of his cocoa and puts the cup down beside him, laying back again and resting his head in his hand once more. Aster turns to watch the snow, content, and their smiles don't fade for the rest of the night.

* * *

When they go outside - after Greg piles them _both_ with jackets and scarves and hats and gloves until he's satisfied - as expected, there's already several inches of snow on the ground. Steven's wrapped up so thickly that he can hardly move, and Aster doesn't seem to be faring any better. But they're both grinning as they make their way outside with Greg and Jasper following suit, and Steven takes a moment to bask in the absolute beauty in front of him while Aster wastes absolutely no time in venturing forward, looking up at the speckles of snow still falling from the sky. It's not as fast or as much as it had been the night before, more of a drizzle than a flurry, but Aster's mouth and eyes are still open wide as he watches the snowflakes, and Steven just grins. He tilts his own head back, sticking his tongue out as he steps off the porch without his cane. That third leg of his, Greg had warned him, wouldn't do too well in the snow and ice, so he left it.

The pain that spasms through his leg is well worth it, though he still considers asking Greg for some of those meds just in case. He can't help but giggle as he sinks through some of the snow, lifting his bad leg a little and shaking some of the cold white powder off of his boots. Aster has already knelt down, knees sinking into the snow as he scoops up two handfuls of it and sinks back to inspect it. After a moment, Steven makes his way over to him, huffing out a laugh. "Whattya think?" He pauses to kneel down, biting back a wince as he does, and scoops up some of the snow himself. It's a little loose, he notes… probably not snowball-worthy material.

_("The first snow is always too soft," Pearl would chuckle as Steven scooped up handful after handful, trying in vain to mold the fragile powder into a ball. "You have to wait for it to thicken.")_

The hybrid quiets for a moment, letting the snow trickle from his gloved hand. A few snowflakes stick to the fabric, and he can't bite back a small smile despite himself. Aster is simply brushing the snow off of his own gloves at this point, looking curious. "It's… it's interesting. It's cold," his brother comments, then pauses and looks back over at the hybrid, a concerned, solemn look replacing the childish excitement that had previously been written there. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Steven inclines his head, offering his brother a warm smile. "Just… remembering."

He knows he shouldn't - wonders if he shouldn't - but he knows he can't deal with the memories right now, can't deal with the feelings that come with it. So he pushes them down, pushes it back, and stifles whatever emotions that had engulfed him, feelings of longing and sadness and _wistfulness_. Nostalgia. That's what it was, it was nostalgia - and Steven couldn't deal with it yet.

He stays silent for a while, holding Aster's gaze. His brother studies him for a moment longer, but Steven hadn't lied; he's okay. He's alright. And they both recognize that this isn't something he needs to talk or think about right now; so, after a moment, Aster sighs, smiles, and nods. "I suppose there'll be no snowman building today," his brother comments thoughtfully, tilting his head faintly to the side, and Steven only lets out a quiet, affirming hum. "So what should we…"

"Hey," Greg calls from the porch, "you know what soft snow is great for? Snow angels."

Steven groans, despite himself.

"What's a 'snow angel'?" Jasper grunts, making her way into the yard with them. Steven glances at her for a moment, tilting his head and managing a small smile when he remembers the last time he'd seen her surrounded by snow like this. He'd been terrified of her back then, frozen at the sight of her, bubbling himself and Connie on hardly anything more than pure instinct. He wonders, for a moment, whether he still has that photo he took of her through that bubble; it's saved on his old phone, but most of his pictures were backed up. Steven hadn't gone through them just yet, but the urge to do so now… he couldn't pretend it wasn't there. So… maybe. Maybe, eventually, maybe _someday_ , he'd go through those again. He'd like to find that photo…

For now, however… "I'll show you." The hybrid pushes himself up and moves a little ways away from the other two, while Aster sits back in the snow and watches him curiously as Steven lays back and spreads his arms and legs out, moving them through the snow in the familiar motion. His leg aches in response every time he moves it - and he resolves, finally, to ask Greg for those pills before the day is over - but he doesn't stop until he's satisfied that it'll look perfect. He might not be a fan of the snow angel thing, but he's not going to do a half-assed job either.

"Little help?" He chuckles, reaching out, and Aster doesn't waste any time in jumping up and moving over to grab his hand and pull him back to his feet. "Thanks. Anyway, that…" The hybrid turns his head, inclining his head to the shape he'd left in the snow. "That is a snow angel, Jas."

Jasper stares at the shape for a moment, tilting her head, and frowns. "I don't get it."

Steven puffs his cheeks out, silent for a few seconds, then turns and fixes his gaze on his father. "I'm not explaining angels to her. I am _not_ ready to get into the topic of religion with her yet."

"I bet, you little atheist," Greg teased back with a chuckle, finally stepping off the porch to walk back over to them, and Steven merely smirks. Well, it'd be hard to explain a concept he doesn't really believe in anyway. And he's really not ready to get into that whole thing with the gem yet. He'll willingly discuss anything else with her - but religion? Ah, yeah, for him, that was a no-no. Which is why, when Greg steps in to explain angels to Jasper, Steven makes it a point to retreat completely away from them and head over to the other side of the yard. Aster follows him with a faint smile on his face, looking amused as he catches up to the hybrid, falling into step with him.

"When the snow gets a little thicker, we're pelting them with snowballs."

Aster laughs, a mischievous look entering his gaze as he glances back, and smirks. "Oh, _yes."_


End file.
